Aircraft engines, in both commercial and military aircraft, incorporate heated gas flows as part of their standard operations. In order to protect portions of the engine from the excess heat generated by the heated gas flows, insulation tiles are installed in some areas of the gas flow path.
With current fastener designs, a technician installing or replacing the insulation tiles requires access to the backside of the engine substructure that the tile is attached to. In order to access the backside of the substructure, the engine is removed from the aircraft. Removing the engine to facilitate replacing or repairing an insulation tile significantly increases cost beyond the actual costs of replacing the tile itself.